Pulp & Paper Industry Solutions
Advanced wastewater treatment addressing the complex challenges of pulp mills, paper manufacturing, and recycling operations
Industry Overview
Pulp & Paper Industry Solutions
The pulp and paper industry produces some of the highest volume and most complex industrial wastewater streams, containing lignin, cellulose fibers, chlorinated compounds, color, and high suspended solids. Treatment systems must handle massive flows (thousands of cubic meters per day) while removing recalcitrant organic compounds resistant to conventional biological treatment.
Modern pulp and paper operations face mounting pressure to reduce freshwater consumption, minimize environmental impact, and achieve increasingly strict discharge limits for COD, color, AOX (adsorbable organic halides), and toxicity. Mills are transitioning toward closed-loop water systems requiring advanced treatment and internal recycling to reduce discharge volumes.
Spans Envirotech provides comprehensive treatment solutions specifically engineered for pulp and paper applications, combining clarification, biological treatment, chemical oxidation, and advanced filtration. Our systems handle extreme flows, remove color and recalcitrant organics, and enable water reuse supporting mill sustainability objectives.
Industry Challenges
Key Environmental Challenges
Color & Lignin Removal
Kraft pulping generates dark-colored effluent containing lignin derivatives and chlorinated compounds that impart color and inhibit biological treatment, requiring specialized removal technologies.
High Volume & Variable Loads
Mills produce enormous wastewater volumes (20,000-100,000 m³/day) with characteristics varying by production grades, requiring robust systems capable of handling extreme hydraulic and organic loading variations.
Recalcitrant Organic Compounds
Complex aromatic compounds, chlorinated organics, and extractives resist conventional biodegradation, requiring advanced oxidation, long retention times, or specialized microbial consortia for effective removal.
Our Solutions
Tailored Wastewater Treatment Solutions
Primary Clarification & Fiber Recovery
High-rate clarifiers and dissolved air flotation remove suspended fibers and solids, recovering valuable fiber for reuse while reducing organic loading on biological systems by 40-60%, lowering treatment costs.
Activated Sludge & Aeration Systems
Large-scale aerated lagoons or activated sludge systems with extended retention times (3-5 days) achieve 85-95% BOD removal. High-efficiency diffuser systems minimize energy costs for aeration.
Color Removal & Advanced Oxidation
Chemical oxidation using ozone, hydrogen peroxide, or Fenton's reagent destroys color-causing compounds. Adsorption on activated carbon removes residual color and AOX achieving stringent discharge standards.
Water Reclamation & Reuse
MBR or ultrafiltration combined with reverse osmosis produces high-quality water for process reuse including pulper dilution, washing, and cooling, reducing freshwater withdrawal by 30-60% and minimizing discharge.
Technologies
Proven Technologies for Your Industry
Benefits
Why Choose Spans for Your Industry
- Handles extreme hydraulic loads (10,000-100,000 m³/day) reliably
- Achieves stringent color and AOX discharge limits (<100 Pt-Co, <0.5 mg/L AOX)
- Fiber recovery reduces raw material costs and organic loading
- Energy-efficient aeration systems minimize power consumption in large-scale systems
- Water reclamation reduces freshwater costs and environmental impact
- Modular designs allow phased expansion matching mill growth
- Automated monitoring ensures continuous compliance with environmental regulations
Ready to Transform Your Pulp & Paper Industry Solutions Operations?
Let our experts design a custom solution for your facility.